The Boy And The Beast review: Imaginative fantasy of unexpected bond

ANIMATED epic The Boy And The Beast could give Harry Potter a run for his money.

The Boy And The Beast is the latest hand-drawn work from the director of Wolf Children

The Boy And The Beast (Cert 12A; 114mins)

The latest hand-drawn work from the director of Wolf Children is an imaginative fantasy in which nine-year-old runaway Ren enters a parallel universe inhabited by shape-shifting creatures and becomes a reluctant apprentice to grumpy, bear-like Kumatetsu.

The unexpected bond that grows between them lies at the heart of a beautifully animated tale that is often more appealing than some live-action blockbusters competing for your attention this summer.